Faculty at Tusculum College have been notified that they have received a research grant from the Appalachian College Association to complete an undergraduate research project focused on the Greene County tobacco market.
The grant, which totals $10,000, will be used to conduct a cross-discipline project involving professors from the English, digital media, mathematics and psychology departments and several Tusculum College students have been selected to participate in the project.
According to Chris Jacek, assistant professor of digital media, the research project will focus on tobacco farming in Greene County, with the goal of collecting the information on video and producing a documentary of their findings.
“We will be collecting information in a variety of areas,” said Jacek. “We do not have a defined direction, but will let the story tell itself.”
Students, under the direction of the faculty, will research both historical and living documents. According to Dr. Clay Matthews, assistant professor of English, students will conduct a wide range of interviews to gage general public perception of tobacco, smoking and the economic impact tobacco has had on the region.
In addition, under the direction of Dr. Brian Davis, assistant professor of mathematics, students will investigate the economic impact the tobacco market has had on Greene County. “We will look at economic impact and look at Greene County as a microcosm of the nation’s economy overall.”
Students in Tusculum psychology department will conduct a survey on the attitudes toward smoking and look at it in the context of behavioral health concepts. They will be mentored by Dr. Jennifer Harper, assistant professor of psychology.
The results of the various components of the research project will be compiled and presented at the annual Appalachian College Association Conference. According to Jacek, the documentary will not be completed at that time, but they will present their research findings and report on their work toward completion of the documentary. The documentary, however, will give students in the College’s digital media division the opportunity to work on a polished product to be produced and presented to the public.
“This grant is a great opportunity for our students to gain experience in their fields through a comprehensive research project while undergraduates,” said Dr. Melinda Dukes, interim vice president for Academic Affairs at Tusculum College. “It is also an opportunity, through the cross-curricular component, for students and faculty to work together in combinations that do not always occur naturally.”
According to Dukes, students involved in the project will work closely with their faculty to conduct the research. Faculty will mentor the students and provide guidance as the project moves forward.
“We will be focusing on the philosophy that research is an interpretive act rather than a means to prove a preconceived notion,” said Jacek.
Student participants will include students from all four departments and will be a mix of residential students and adult students in the Graduate and Professional Studies program.